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Buyer's Guide for Beer Lovers

Lagers

Not Your Grandfather’s Lager

Baltic Porter

In the 18th century, the strong English stouts were exported through the Baltic region to Russia—the origin of the Russian imperial stout style. Seeing this success, traditional lager-making breweries along the export route developed their own version of the style: strong and black, but bottom-fermented and lagered. Baltic porters are smooth, with caramel, chocolate and licorice notes, lacking the roasted, gristy qualities of a stout. Low hop aroma, medium- to full-bodied, with a sweet malty character. Strength ranges from 6 to as high as 9 percent ABV.

Interpreting the 100-point Scale

Consumers can translate the point score to the following quality bands:

Point Range Quality Band
96-100 points Platinum
90-95 points Gold
85-90 points Silver
80-84 points Bronze
Less than 80 Not Recommended
Legend
  • = Brewpub
  • ABV = Alcohol by volume
  • Date denotes the date on which the beer was tasted

93 Amnesia Baltic Porter, Grumpy Troll Brewery (WI). 8.2% ABV (11/09)
Opaque brown black color. Aromas of molasses, prunes, dried apples, and dark roasted chestnuts follow through on a big, supple entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium-full body with crème brûlée, malt vinegar, and cocoa notes. Finishes with a long, chewy toffee, dried citrus, green peppercorn, and grassy hop fade. A tasty, powerhouse of Baltic Porter that hits all the high notes.

93 Bourbon Barrel Baltic Porter, Browning’s Brewery (KY). 8% ABV (10/10)
Black brown color. Rich layered aromas and flavors of dried cherries, nutty toffee, and vanilla crème brûlée with a satiny, fruity medium-full body and a long, crisp and drying chocolate covered espresso bean, wafer cookie, and peppery spice finish. Paradoxically rich and lush, yet delicate and graceful in texture. A sessionable barrel aged beer? Pair with bleu cheese and nuts.

89 Baltika #6 Porter, Baltika Brewery (Russia). 7% ABV (11/08)
Muddy brown color. Bread yeast, riverbed, and fermenting overripe fig aroma. A round, brisk entry leads to an off-dry medium-to-full body with caramelized dated and fig, dark nut rye bread, and orange honey flavors. Finishes with a tart, fruit peel, mineral, nutskin, and cocoa fade.

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